South Carolina Code of Regulations
Chapter 27 - CLEMSON UNIVERSITY STATE LIVESTOCK-POULTRY HEALTH COMMISSION
Article 12 - PLANT NURSERY REGULATIONS
Section 27-161 - Nursery Grower Certification Process
Current through Register Vol. 48, No. 3, March 22, 2024
Nursery Grower Certificates are required for all Nurseries defined as Nursery Growers. The Nursery Grower Certification Process requires successful completion of the Application, Inspection, and Registration sections below for all Nursery Growers.
A. Application
To obtain a Nursery Grower Certificate, application must first be made to the Department. First time and expired Nursery Growers requesting a Nursery Grower Certificate must notify the Department for Application information. Nurseries with a current Nursery Grower Certificate will automatically receive renewal information from the Department annually.
B. Inspection
All applicants in South Carolina must be inspected at least annually by the Department. Inspection must reveal that the Nursery possesses acceptable environmental conditions and that the Nursery Stock is sufficiently free from Plant Pests as determined by the Inspector. All inspections, announced or otherwise, shall be performed to ensure compliance with these regulations and all other applicable state and federal regulations and laws. Should the Nursery Stock not be made available for annual inspection or if the inspection reveals unacceptable environmental conditions and/or Plant Pests at an unacceptable level, the Nursery Grower Certificate may be revoked until the situation is corrected per the guidelines of the Department.
C. Registration
All Nursery Growers in South Carolina are subject to Registration and applicable fees by the Department unless exempt elsewhere in this regulation. Nursery Grower registration fees shall be on a graduated scale. All Nursery Grower Certificates expire annually. If Nursery Stock is grown at more than one location by the same Nursery Grower, the fees shall be based upon the nursery's aggregate number of acres and/or greenhouse square footage in production of the nursery. In cases where the Nursery consists of a combination of greenhouses, turfgrass, and other nursery stock acreage, a single license fee must be assessed at the higher rate of the three categories.
The following annual Nursery Grower Registration fee schedule is in effect:
Nursery Growers who produce transplants or seedlings grown solely for the purpose of being distributed for production of agricultural commodities must complete Registration with the Department but are exempt from nursery registration fees. If Nursery Stock is grown in conjunction with the aforementioned category of plants, the Nursery will remain subject to the fee schedule of this section.
Nursery Grower Hobbyists are required to produce sales records to the Department upon request and will remain subject to all other requirements of this section.
The Forestry Commission and governmental and nonprofit organizations which are not in the business of commercial sale of nursery stock are exempt from the fees required by registration, but will remain subject to all other requirements of this section. All persons selling cut Christmas trees from November to January who are not otherwise required to adhere to this section are exempt from the requirements of this section.
